Ch. 36
Three weeks later the school term finally ended. Harry was free from being grounded and school has finished for Summer Break. Since his Dad still has "Professor's duties" to finish for a few days, Harry was enjoying his freedom again.
Deciding to go visit his Grandpa, he walks to the Gargoyles guarding the moving staircase to the headmaster's office. "Chocolate Frogs!" Harry announces waiting impatiently for the door to open. This password stuff was silly to him. Why couldn't he just go on up? He knows Grandpa wouldn't turn him away. Entering the headmaster's office, Harry sees him talking to Fawkes.
"Hi Grandpa! Is today a burning day?"
"Hello my boy. No, Fawkes has a week to go before burning day. You'll be back home at Black Manor by then. You said you wanted to come talk with me so let's sit on the soft sofas over here. I asked the house elves to send up some lemonade and chocolate biscuits. Is there anything else you would like to have?"
Wishing he could say he wanted some ice cream but knowing Dad wouldn't approve of him asking for it, Harry answers "No sir, lemonade and biscuits sound good."
Seeing Dumbledore looking at him strangely makes Harry a little bit nervous. "Is something wrong Grandpa?"
"Why are you holding back from me, Harry? I can see into your mind and you do want something other than the snack I mentioned. Why don't you speak up and tell me what you wish for?"
"Dad said I couldn't have it. He told me to accept whatever I was offered and not ask for anything else. I'd get in trouble if I disobeyed him."
"I see and just when and why did he tell you this?" Dumbledore asks softly.
"Last night. We went to eat with Uncle Remus for supper. Uncle Remus served roast lamb with carrots, peas, potatoes and rolls. I really hoped he would have ice cream for dessert because I know how much he loves ice cream same as me. But when he went to get dessert it wasn't ice cream, it was rhubarb pie. Grandpa, there aren't many things I don't like but rhubarb pie is one. I politely asked Uncle Remus if he had any ice cream and Dad got mad at me."
"What happened Harry?"
"He took me into the loo and he really scolded me! I thought for a minute he was going to spank me! He told me I was being rude and I was to accept whatever was offered to me without complaint or asking for something different. Then he said if I didn't behave myself, I would be grounded to my room again until we left the castle. That's why I couldn't tell you what I wanted. I just got free and I don't want to be kept in my room anymore!"
"Well young man, I just happen to have a sudden craving for an ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cherries. Will you please be polite and accept my offer to have one with me? I really don't like having ice cream sundaes all by myself."
"Yes Sir! I wouldn't want to disobey by not doing what you asked me to do. I will definitely have an ice cream sundae with you!" Harry answers eyes shining with delight as two huge ice cream sundaes pop up on the table between them.
"This is delicious. It tastes just like those from the Splurge Ice Cream Parlor. Do you think the house elves make those too?" Harry asks licking chocolate sauce from his fingers. Grandpa won't scold him for bad manners as his Dad would so Harry feels he can lick all he wants to.
"These came directly from the Ice Cream Parlor itself. The house elves didn't make these, Harry. Now while you finish your sundae, tell me about the trouble you got yourself into with the Astronomy notebook."
"I didn't plan to break the school rule! I didn't know that copying someone else's notes was cheating. I needed to have an essay on Jupiter or I would be in a lot of trouble with Dad that day. I didn't have one because I forgot with all the other things going on. Draco heard me telling Ron and Hermione I was going to be in trouble and he put the notebook into my hands. I didn't stop to think I just started writing out what he had in the notebook. Dad caught me doing it and took me into his office. He told me I was cheating because I copied Draco's essay and spanked me with a paddle! Then I've been grounded ever since! He's really been unfair lately!"
"How has he been unfair, Harry?"
"Well, the night before he spanked me with the paddle, he got me with a hairbrush! Two hard spankings that close together is murder on your bum! I couldn't even sit down without hurting for a whole afternoon. He didn't have to paddle me after he just did with the brush. That wasn't fair!"
"Why was it that he used a hairbrush the first time? What were you being punished for doing?"
"That was for using magic without supervision or permission. He said Draco and I could have been badly hurt. I got an extra essay to write plus detention and being grounded to my room for weeks for breaking into the Amusement Area with Dad's code, sneaking out at night to help Draco do spells we weren't ready to do and planning to do an unforgivable I think. I'm not sure if he punished me for that last one or just the rest. I know he was really mad that I even thought about doing Imperius. I told him I didn't do it and didn't practice it. I guess it's good I didn't." Harry ends with a sigh.
"Harry, do you understand why what you boys were doing was wrong? Do you know why your Dad was upset with you?" Professor Dumbledore asks the sad child across from him.
"Cause I was bad and made everyone worry about us."
"No son, that's not quite it. You see Harry, when you did those spells it caused you to be hurt. Although you are able to do those complicated spells, it uses too much of your magic because you are very young. Your Dad and everyone else wants to keep you safe and protect you from hurting yourself. That is why he gets upset and punishes you for using magic without permission. You are young and so is your magic. Your use of magic needs to be trained just as you train a young puppy. You have to learn to be able to control the surges or something really dangerous could happen to you or those around you. Even the older students are not allowed to perform spells unless a professor is near. We all love you very much and so we put rules in place to keep you safe. When you deliberately set out to break those rules and put yourself in danger it causes us to become upset."
"Yes Grandpa, I understand a bit better now. Dad said he spanked me because he loves me and doesn't want me to put myself in danger. It's hard being able to do all these really cool things and no one lets you do it by yourself. I don't want to be watched all the time 'cause I might mess up. I only want to let people see when I can do the spell the right way. That's why I sometimes practice stuff by myself."
"I understand that feeling, Harry. I don't like to "mess up" in front of people either. I tell you what, when you want to practice something new that is approved for you to do, you can ask me to watch or you can get Remus or your Dad to watch you. You will have supervision but no one will say anything if you make a mistake. Will you try that for me from now on? I don't want to hear of you using unapproved magic at school ever again. It would break my heart if something happened to you, Harry."
"Yes Sir. " Thinking about the words his Grandpa just said makes Harry feel the need to ask "Grandpa? If I forgot and slipped up and did some unapproved magic without someone watching what would happen?"
"Well for one, I imagine your Dad would put you over his knee and turn your bum prickly again. When he finished, I just might assign you detention with Mr. Fitch Does that answer your question?"
Gaping, Harry finds it hard to believe what he just heard. How could anyone threaten to assign horrible detention so calmly. Just to be on the safe side, he decides not to test out the threat for now.
"Thank you very much for the ice cream. It's almost three o'clock and I have to be back home by three o'clock. I promised Dad I would be there when he got home. I'll try to visit again before we leave Thursday."
"Be off with you then, I don't want you to be tardy with your Dad. Remember what we've talked about today. He loves you very much Harry."
"Yes Sir, Bye."
As Harry rushes towards his quarters he runs smack into Draco knocking the other boy off his feet.
"OH! Draco, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you. Are you alright?" Harry asks leaning down to help up his friend.
"Bloody Hell, Harry! What makes you run around corners like a locomotive at full speed? You could have knocked me down the stairs! Do you want to get rid of me?" Draco asks rubbing his head and backside at the same time.
"No, I don't want to get rid of you, Draco. I like you. I'm just in a big hurry. You'd better watch your mouth though. If one of the professors hears you talk like that they'll tell your uncle. What would he say if they do?"
"Probably the same thing he said about me being in the Amusement Area and having you to teach me those spells. He'd paddle my bum until I couldn't sit comfortably for an hour or two! That time he used a hairbrush and his hand. His hand is hard enough, he didn't need the hairbrush on top of it! Then I was grounded for asking you to teach me an unforgivable."
"I got the exact same punishment. You forgot about how we got spanked by my Dad with the paddle! I tell you Draco, I'm going to be the best behaved boy in Britain for a LONG time. I don't ever want to get spanked like that again! Walk with me to my rooms while we talk. I'm supposed to be home by three and I don't want to be late."
"I can't Harry. Uncle Sev told me to come to the Potions Lab at three o'clock and I have to be there. Can we meet tomorrow for awhile? I'm free until two o'clock tomorrow. Let's meet for breakfast and go to the Amusement Area. I'll ask Uncle Sev first to see if it's okay for us to go there. You ask your Dad too. I don't want us to do anything to get our bums warmed up again!" Draco tells him.
Later that night during supper, Harry asks "Dad? Can I go with Draco tomorrow morning to the Amusement Area to play? We aren't going to do any magic at all, I promise! I just want to get together with him to play for awhile. Can I please go?"
"Alright Harry, it's fine with me as long as you keep your promise of no magic. I don't want to hear of you boys doing any magic at all. You may go but I need you to be back here by one o'clock. We need to do just a few housekeeping chores and pack up what you want to take to the house. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon. I finished all my school chores a day early."
"Yes sir. Dad, could Draco come visit during the summer? I know you said Ron could come stay but could Draco come at a different time? "
"I'll check with Severus and see what he says. If he agrees then I don't see that there would be any problem having Draco come visit. It's good that the two of you have become friends instead of the rivals you seemed to be at the beginning of the school year."
"Yes Sir. He's changed and is being nicer now that he doesn't have to worry about his Father anymore. I guess a lot of his meanness was because he had to do that to please his Father."
"That very well could be son. You and Draco are cousins as well as friends. His mother is my cousin so that means as my son, she is your cousin also. Draco is a member of the Black family. Even after Severus adopts him he will still be part of the family by blood."
"I'm not really your son though, not by blood. How am I his cousin?"
"Harry, you are my son through all the ways that matter. You are a distant cousin of mine also so we are all three related. Do you feel you are not my son? Has someone made you feel that way?"
"No Sir, it's just that I know I'm adopted. I'm not your real son."
"Sit down here on the couch and let's talk this out. When I adopted you and signed the adoption papers you became my child for eternity. Yes, it's true you were born to Lily and James but by law and by magic, you have been reborn so to say, as my child. There is a blood adoption ritual but I didn't want to go that far with you being as young as you are. It doesn't change anything really, so we don't need to do that. As far as the law is concerned, you are Harry James Potter Black, my son. I will always be your Father."
"Does that mean Daddy James is not my Daddy anymore?" Harry asks tearfully.
"No Pup, he is still your Daddy too. He was your blood Daddy and your first Daddy. I guess we can call him your Daddy in Heaven. I am your Dad here on Earth. Does that help explain it?" Sirius asks hoping Harry doesn't want to know what will happen when Sirius gets to Heaven. He sure doesn't know how to explain who would be his Daddy if they are both in Heaven.
"Will I ever get a Mummy for here on Earth, Dad?" Harry asks curiously.
"I can't answer that one, Pup. If you do it won't be anytime soon. Did you have someone in mind?" Sirius asks grinning at the young boy.
"Me? Well not really. Uh, Mrs. Weasley is nice but she's got Mr. Weasley and all those kids so she probably won't be my Mum. I like Professor McGonagall but she's already my Grandma so she can't be my Mum too. I guess we'll just have to keep looking."
"I guess we will. It's time for bed, Pup. You still need your rest after you were so ill. Go get ready and I'll be in to read with you for a bit before you go to sleep. What book and chapter are we on now?"
"DAD! You know we're reading Robin Hood and we're on the chapter where the Merry Men are gathering in Sherwood Forest! How could you forget, we just read some last night! Are you getting old?" Harry asks giggling as he dances out of reach when Sirius pretends to swat him.
Uncle Sev? Draco asks nervously as they wash the dishes from their meal. Severus decided to cook their last supper at the castle and insisted Draco help wash up.
"Yes Draco?"
"Harry and I would like to go to the Amusement Area after breakfast tomorrow. We want to play there for a little while. Would that be alright with you if Professor Black gives Harry permission?"
"Are you boys going to be doing any spells while there? Is this just an excuse to get Harry to teach you some other kind of unforgivable?" Severus asks with the teasing look Draco is beginning to recognize.
"Uncle Sev! You know I wouldn't do that. Not after you made me not sit down comfortably for doing it the first time. I do enjoy the ability to sit down without being sore. I know you would just about remove the skin from my backside if I did that again! You might even cane me!"
"NO Draco, I would never strike you with a cane! If I feel you need strong punishment, a hairbrush or ruler is about all I'd ever use. We will mostly use removal of privileges and time out in your room. I don't ever want you to feel I will abuse you the way your Father has."
"Yes Sir, I understand. May I go play with Harry, Sir?"
"Yes Draco, you may go until lunchtime but then I need you back here. We'll be leaving for Spinner's End tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes sir. May I ask Harry to come visit me there this summer? Please Uncle Sev? I'd like to have someone close to my age to play with. Please? We'll behave."
"Sirius has already asked me to allow you to visit Harry at Black Manor. It would only be fair to reciprocate the invitation." At Draco's cocked head and inquisitive look he explains, "To let Harry visit at your house also."
"My house? I don't want to take him to Malfoy Manor! I don't want to go back there! Please Uncle Severus! I promise to obey all the rules and be very quiet and stay out of your way and do all the house chores and any other thing you want me to if you just let me stay with you!" Draco says as tears begin to fall.
"Draco, calm down son, I meant Spinner's End. Spinner's End will be your home for the summer and Snape Manor will be your home away from the castle. You are going to be MY son and you are not ever returning to Malfoy Manor unless you wish to."
"But I'm not your son yet. HE could come an take me away from you. He'd do it too. Just to be hateful and then he'd beat me with that cane again for trying to leave."
Shaking his head and pulling the boy down onto his lap as he sits on the kitchen chair, Severus holds him as he sobs out his fear. "SHH, hush now Dragon, I have you. You are safe. No one is taking you from me. I've already spoken to the Ministry of Magic and shown them your memories. There is a restraining order and we have wards set so no one is allowed to come near us without my permission. We return here to Scotland in three weeks to go through with the blood adoption ceremony. As far as I'm concerned you are already my child. Does that make you feel any better? Nothing is going to happen to you Dragon. I won't let it."
"Yes Sir. Could I invite Harry to come to the ceremony? I like to be with him now that I can be myself and not have to be mean to him. My Father wanted me to do things to him to show I could be a Syltherin. He doesn't know this but I didn't do a lot of the things he thinks I did. I would lie and tell him I did all these awful things but I really didn't. I know it is bad to lie but I did it anyway. Are you angry?"
"No, not in this case. You are a good child, Draco. You have a lot of kindness just like your Mother used to have before she married Malfoy. You just continue to work on your good side. Just forget about Lucius and what he tried to teach you. None of that is important anymore. I'll issue invitations for Sirius and Harry to attend the adoption ceremony."
As the two boys enter the Amusement Area the next morning, Draco tells Harry "I'm going to be magically adopted by Uncle Sev, Harry! You and your Dad are invited to come also. It would be so cool if both of us could be blood adopted at the same time. You aren't blood adopted are you?"
"No. Dad said it wasn't something he wanted to do because of my age. You are only six months older than me so if you can do it so can I. I'll talk to him about it tonight or tomorrow. What do you have to do to be blood adopted?"
Settling into the car of the roller coaster and putting the lap bar down, Draco says "I don't really know but I'm doing it no matter what. I want a new Dad and a new safe life with him. I do not want to be a Malfoy ever again. I get to change my name and how I look if I want to do that. I'm going to be darker blonde haired. I don't want to be a light blonde haired kid anymore."
"Don't you want to look like your Uncle?"
"What do you mean? I just told you how I want to look.."
"Yes but your Uncle has dark hair and dark brown eyes. Why don't you look the same?"
"I will have some different looks, I think. Now listen Dad said you could visit for a week if Uncle Sirius says it's alright."
"You just called him Dad!" Harry exclaims.
"I'm just trying it out, Harry. I never have had anyone to call Dad. It was always Father with Lucius when I lived there. I think I like the name Dad." Draco says as they swoop up and over the last hill on the roller coaster.
After the boys get off the roller coaster, they decide to ride the giant spider ride next. Settling into the seat together, Harry says "I like having someone to call Dad too. I called my first Dad, "Daddy" but I call Sirius "Dad", most of the time anyway."
That afternoon while Sirius and Harry closed down their quarters and sent their belongings to the Manor, Harry decided to bring up the adoption.
"Dad? Can I ask you something important?"
"Harry, I'm always going to listen to you. I may not be able to answer, but I will listen. What do you wish to know?"
"I was talking to Draco today and he told me he is going to be blood adopted by Professor Snape this summer. I was wondering if you could, um that is if you wouldn't mind, uh you see I'd like it if ….this is hard to say Dad."
"Would you like to go through a Blood Adoption ceremony too, son?" Sirius asks smiling.
"Yes Sir I would very much like to have that done. Could we? Please? That way no one could ever say I was not your son. No one could ever take me away from you."
"Have you been worried about someone taking you from me?"
"Every now and then I do worry about it. I sometimes have nightmares where someone shows up at the door and says I belong to them and takes me away from you."
"Harry, son, I wish you had told me of this. I would have talked about it with you sooner. Yes, I would be thrilled to go through a Blood Adoption ceremony with you. As far as I'm concerned you have been my son since the first adoption papers were magically sealed at the Ministry. No one would be able to break that adoption son. I was the person designated by your parents to raise you if something happened to them. It was written in their wills and that can not be disputed. Argued about." Sirius adds the last at Harry's confused look.
"Do you think we could do a double ceremony with Draco? He said he thought it would be cool to do that. I didn't ask him to, he just brought it up."
"I'll have to meet with Severus and we'll talk about it then. Right now it's time to go to the Manor and open it for the summer. We have quite a bit of cleaning and airing out to do I'm afraid. Are you up to some chores?"
"Sure Dad. I'll be anxious to see my room again. I kind of missed the house. I like the fact that we have so much room there. Here I sometimes get to feeling crowded. I'm ready Dad."
"Take my arm then. Hold on and don't let go Harry. I'll count to three and we'll apparate. Don't forget to breathe the way you did last time! Ready ? ONE TWO THREE!"
On three, Harry and Sirius disappeared from their Hogwarts quarters and reappeared in the family room of Black Manor. As soon as Harry opened his eyes and took two steps towards the doorway leading to the hall, something began screeching loudly.
"INTRUDERS! OFF MY PROPERTY! I'LL KILL INVADERS ON SIGHT!"